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B e t w e e n t h e

B o o k e n d s 2/2014

Monthly MVUSD Circulations

This Month: 36,189

This Year 228,530

See Attachment for details

** YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction

for Young Adults:

“The Nazi Hunters: How a Team of Spies and Sur-

vivors Captured the World’s Most Notorious Nazi,”

written by Neal Bascomb, is the 2014 Excellence

winner. The book is published by Arthur A. Levine

Books, an imprint of Scholastic Inc.

Four other books were finalists for the award: “Go:

A Kidd’s Guide to Graphic Design,” written by

Chip Kidd and published by Workman Publishing

Company; “Imprisoned: The Betrayal of Japa-

nese Americans During World War II,” written

by Martin W. Sandler and published by Walker

Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Blooms-

bury Publishing, Inc.; “Courage Has No Color:

The True Story of the Triple Nickles, America’s

First Black Paratroopers,” written by Tanya Lee

Stone and published by Candlewick Press; and

“The President Has Been Shot! The Assassina-

tion of John F. Kennedy,” written by James L.

Swanson and published by Scholastic Press, an im-

print of Scholastic Inc.

Recognized worldwide for the high quality they

represent, ALA awards guide parents, educators,

librarians and others in selecting the best materials

for youth. Selected by judging committees of librar-

ians and other children’s experts, the awards en-

courage original and creative work. For more infor-

mation on the ALA youth media awards and nota-

bles, please visit www.ala.org/yma .

February: President’s Day,

Valentine’s Day,

Black History Month

February 24th:

Library Meeting 2:00

VMHS. Michelle McCarthy

presenting on

Common Core

March 21st: CYRM

Ballots Due

** John Newbery Medal for the most outstanding contribution to children's literature:

“Flora & Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures,” written by Kate DiCamillo, is the 2014 Newbery

Medal winner. The book is published by Candlewick Press.

Four Newbery Honor Books also were named: “Doll Bones,” written by Holly Black and published

by Margaret K. McElderry Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing Division;

“The Year of Billy Miller,” written by Kevin Henkes and published by Greenwillow Books, an im-

print of HarperCollins Publishers; “One Came Home,” written by Amy Timberlake and published by

Alfred A. Knopf, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books, a division of Random House, Inc.;

and “Paperboy,” written by Vince Vawter and published by Delacorte Press, an imprint of Random

House Children’s Books, a division of Random House, Inc.

** Randolph Caldecott Medal for the most distinguished American

picture book for children:

“Locomotive,” illustrated by Brian Floca, is the 2014 Caldecott Medal

winner. The book was written by Brian Floca and published by Athene-

um Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Chil-

dren’s Publishing.

Three Caldecott Honor Books also were named: “Journey,” written and il-

lustrated by Aaron Becker and published by Candlewick Press; “Flora and the Flamingo,” written

and illustrated by Molly Idle and published by Chronicle Books LLC; and “Mr. Wuffles!” written

and illustrated by David Wiesner and published by Clarion Books, an imprint of Houghton Mifflin

Harcourt Publishing Company.

** Coretta Scott King (Author) Book Award recognizing an African American author and illustra-

tor of outstanding books for children and young adults:

“P.S. Be Eleven,” written by Rita Williams-Garcia, is the King Author Book winner. The book is

published by Amistad, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.

PHILADELPHIA — The American Library Association (ALA) today announced the top books,

video and audio books for children and young adults – including the Caldecott, Coretta Scott

King, Newbery and Printz awards – at its Midwinter Meeting in Philadelphia. A list of all the

2014 award winners follows:

And the Award Winners Are...

** Coretta Scott King – Virginia Hamilton Award for Lifetime Achievement:

Authors Patricia and Researcher Fredrick McKissack are the winners of the Coretta Scott King – Vir-

ginia Hamilton Award for Lifetime Achievement. The award is presented in even years to an African

American author, illustrator or author/illustrator for a body of his or her published books for children

and/or young adults, and who has made a significant and lasting literary contribution.

Patricia McKissack and her late husband Fredrick McKissack, both natives of Tennessee, began their

writing and research partnership in the 1980’s.Their subject matter from family-based folklore to

nonfiction titles, are scholarly researched and written with accurate, authentic text, creating a cultural

transmission of history. Their immense range of topics are informative, readable and enjoyable, cov-

ering accounts from slavery days to biographical studies of noted men and women in African Ameri-

can history past and present.

** Michael L. Printz Award for excellence in literature written for young adults:

“Midwinterblood,” written by Marcus Sedgwick, is the 2014 Printz Award winner. The book is pub-

lished by Roaring Brook Press, an imprint of Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group.

Four Printz Honor Books also were named: “Eleanor & Park,” written by Rainbow Rowell and pub-

lished by St. Martin’s Griffin (Macmillan); “Kingdom of Little Wounds,” written by Susann Cokal

and published by Candlewick Press; “Maggot Moon,” written by Sally Gardner, illustrated by Julian

Crouch and published by Candlewick Press; and “Navigating Early,” written by Clare Vanderpool

and published by Delacorte Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Random House Children’s

Books, a division of Random House LLC, Penguin Random House Company.

** Schneider Family Book Award for books that embody an artistic expression of the disability ex-

perience:

“A Splash of Red: The Life and Art of Horace Pippin,” written by Jen Bryant, illustrated by Melissa

Sweet and published by Alfred A. Knopf, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books, a division

of Random House, Inc. wins the award for children ages 0 to 10.

“Handbook for Dragon Slayers,” written by Merrie Haskell and published by

HarperCollins Children’s Books, a division of HarperCollins Publishers, is the

winner of the middle-school (ages 11-13) award.

The teen (ages 13-18) award winner is “Rose under Fire,” written by Elizabeth

Wein and published by Hyperion, an imprint of Disney Book Group.

Inside Stories About Memorable Books

Ann Beneduce, editorial consultant; former publisher,

Philomel Books

Eric Carle’s The Very Hun-

gry Caterpillar [1969] was

the second book both

written and illustrated by

this now world-famous

picture book artist. Estab-

lished as a modern classic, the book was very inno-

vative when it was published. Eric has often told

how he submitted a book entitled Willie the Worm—

about a little bookworm that ate its way through the

die-cut pages—and how changing Willie into a very

hungry caterpillar that became a beautiful butterfly

transformed the project. But this is far from the

whole story.

Having agreed on the changes needed, Eric pro-

duced a brilliant new dummy, complete with holes

for tiny fingers to explore. By my rule, it was both

beautiful and useful. But to my surprise and chagrin,

I was unable to find any American manufacturer who

could produce it. At that time—half a century ago—

no one could guarantee to cut the holes in the odd-

sized pages and bind them so that the holes lined up

correctly.

As it happened, luck was with me. My husband-to-be

had invited me to join him on a trip to Japan, where

he would be attending a scientific conference. Anne

Pellowski kindly gave me a list of Japanese publishers

of children’s books and, with the dummy in my

briefcase, I set off for Kyoto. The publishers I met

there were wonderful—extremely hospitable and

friendly. All of them liked Eric’s book—and I was

excited to find that they thought they could manu-

facture it for me—but none of them seemed to be

able to produce it at a price we could afford. None,

that is, except for the late Hideo Imamura, who was

then the chief editor at Kaiseisha. “We will find a

way,” he assured me, and he did, though it was

more easily said than done. But with his Japanese

edition added to our own, the price became more

viable. At the next Bologna fair we were able to sell

rights to the book to British editor Julia MacRae, of

Hamish Hamilton, and several European publishers, all

of whom would print with us, bringing the price down

further. This kind of co-edition is common practice

now, but it was quite revolutionary at that time.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar was an instant success, and

has been published in dozens of different languages and

countries. When I travel anywhere in the world and

say that I was Eric Carle’s editor for this book, I find I have made an immediate friend. That in itself is enough

to make me proud of having published this book. But

there is more, as the substantial royalty income from

The Very Hungry Caterpillar provided much of the initial

capital for the creation of the Eric Carle Museum of

Picture Book Art. Now that’s a book to be proud of!

Frith, editor-at-large; former pub-

lisher, G.P. Putnam's Sons

One summer day in New York, Jean

Fritz, Margot Tomes, and I sat at lunch

with a librarian, a history buff who ad-

mired Jean’s question books and was

anxious to meet her. Margot had illus-

trated the first one, And Then What Happened, Paul Re-

vere?, and when Jean mentioned that she had been

born in China and spent the first 13 years of her life

there, Margot’s eyes opened wide in amazement and

she began to pepper Jean with questions. Jean’s anec-

dotes were funny, genuine and rich in detail. They

begged to be in a book.

Jean called the next day. She thought she had found

the way and that Margot must illustrate it. She thought

it would be a picture book. I was a little surprised, but

only a few days later, Jean called again to say it would

be a different book, a longer book. Memories came

flooding back to Jean and she shared them with me.

She was always passionately involved in whatever she

was working on, and Homesick was no exception. I was

not the first to suggest that she write about her child-

hood in China, but it was the first time the spark ignit-

ed. Once published in 1982, Homesick: My Own Story

went on to win the National Book Award and was

named a Newbery Honor Book. Many proud moments

followed.

BookTalks / Acquisit ions

As your wish list continues to grow, the following BookTalks and accompanying re-

sources for these acclaimed fiction titles will surely get you started.

DICAMILLO, Kate. Flora & Ulysses. illus. by K. G. Campbell. Candlewick. 2013.

ISBN 9780763660406. JLG Level: A+ : Intermediate Readers (Grades 3–5).

Flora Belle Buckman is a natural born cynic. She also loves to read comics so her

mother, a romance novelist, writes a contract requiring Flora to “turn her face…

toward the bright light of true literature.” When the lady next door accidentally vacu-

ums an unassuming squirrel, Flora springs to the rescue and learns that he has ac-

quired super powers. Able to lift the heavy Ulysses vacuum and now able to communicate with people, the

squirrel begins a journey that will impact every person he meets.

Fan-favorite DiCamillo, also newly-appointed National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature, delivers

an unlikely hero. Readers can learn about the story behind the story in an author interview. Want to teach the

novel? Candlewick has ready-to-use teachers’ guides.

WILLIAMS-GARCIA, Rita. P.S. Be Eleven. HarperCollins/Amistad. 2013. ISBN 9780061938634. JLG

Level: B+ : Upper Elementary & Junior High (Grades 5–7).

Delphine and her sisters have come home inspired by their mother and the Black

Panthers, but Big Ma has other ideas. Order, tradition, and rules must be upheld. Un-

cle Darnell returns from Vietnam, but seems sick all the time. He’s also lost his

laughter. When Pa brings home his new girlfriend, it seems that Delphine can’t con-

trol anything. In a series of letters from her mother, Cecile, she gets advice to let

things go. Maybe it’s time for Delphine to enjoy her family, her childhood, and to

just be eleven.

Williams-Garcia has a website which includes a blog. In an interview with her publisher, the author talks

about her inspiration for the stories. Educators who are implementing Common Core State Standards will

find a teaching guide useful. Kids who never knew Michael Jackson may enjoy watching the video of the

Jackson 5 singing Who’s Lovin’ You. Remember to consult your digital databases for information on the

Black Panther Party, in addition to resources found at the Library of Congress.

Keeping Your Library Col lect ion FRESH!

From Jennifer LaGarde's (aka library girl!) blog http://www.librarygirl.net/2013/10/keeping-your-library-

collection.html. AND, in it, she links to a video of the great book cart drill team routine. Fun viewing and good advice

all wrapped into one package!

Out of date materials can be dangerous.

Out of date materials are often text feature poor. Today's high quality, non-fiction texts are rich with features

that not only help kids understand the content, but that also help them understand how language and design

can be used to increase understanding. Older texts simply weren't written that way and often no longer serve

the needs of today's learners.

Readers DO judge a book by its cover. An important part of our job is to connect readers with materials that

make them want to read MORE! Books that are in disrepair or that look like something your grandma would

consider an antique, aren't motivating anyone - but especially not to today's young readers.

Books reflect the times in which they were written. Some older texts may contain language or plot lines root-

ed in stereotypes or prejudices that might have been perfectly acceptable at the time they were written, but that

are now recognized as offensive. Not only do we have to make sure that our non-fiction texts reflect equitable

and up to date view points, we need to make sure that our fiction collections afford every child in the school

the opportunity to see themselves depicted in fair and accurate ways.

An old, irrelevant and out of date collection sends the message that we're all of those things too. Our collec-

tions are a reflection of what we value and are about. I'd rather have just a few shelves made of awesome than

thousands of titles that send the message that my library is still in the dark ages. Holding onto dinosaurs will

only make some folks think you're one too.

I know what you're thinking. if I discard all of my old books, there won't be anything left!?!" Well... I'm pretty sure that's not 100% accurate.

But even if it is, here's my answer:

So what?

We are not archivists. We are educators. We are not curators of book museums. We are conduits of information.

Our job is to connect our patrons (be they students or teachers or other members of our school community) with

the BEST resources available. And, let's face it, we live in a time when there are lots and lots of alternatives to old

and outdated. Look, I'm not advocating that we toss out all of our print resources for digital ones, but I am say-

ing that it's time we start thinking of our collections as blended spaces - made up of print, digital, physical and

human resources. If we do that, making the choice between a good resource and a bad one becomes a little bit

easier.

Anyway, as a part of this work, I stumbled upon this gem of a video in which the CSLA Book Cart Drill Team (a

couple of asides: a) why have I never heard of a "book cart drill team" and b) how can I join one?) speaks some

truth about weeding in song/dance number set to Michael Jackson's "Beat It." It's brilliant. And the lyrics (which

can be found just below the video) are priceless. Which, in turn, inspired me to make this flyer to help those who

are struggling with whether or not it's time to get rid of a particular book.